Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary DVD/BD

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Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary DVD/BD

Post by grim_tales »

Anyone going to pick this up? :) I'm sure I will but I don't want all the LE stuff and other crap in the US LE and besides, it'll take up too much space. I just want the discs/extras.
Warner Home Video has announced the technical specs and special features for the upcoming Blu-ray release of 'The Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition', which is due to hit store shelves on September 29th, day-and-date with the DVD release. The two-disc set will be released in limited edition numbered packaging, and also feature a digital copy of the film.

The film has recently been restored from the original negatives in 8K resolution, and then remastered at 4K for the best results possible. Warner will present results of their extraordinary work in 1080p VC-1 accompanied by a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack.

Special features for this release include:

* Disc 1 Sing-along Track (NEW)
* Commentary by John Fricke with Barbara Freed-Saltzman (daughter of Arthur Freed), Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, John Lahr (son of Bert Lahr), Jane Lahr (daughter of Bert Lahr), Hamilton Meserve (son of Margaret Hamilton), Dona Massin (MGM choreographer), William Tuttle (make- up artist), Buddy Ebsen, Mervyn LeRoy, and Jerry Maren
* The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook
* Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz
* We Haven't Really Met Properly
* Music and Effects Track
* Original Mono Track
* The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic [1990 TV special]
* Memories of Oz [2001 TCM documentary]
* The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz
* Because of the Wonderful Things it Does: The Legacy of Oz
* Harold Arlen's Home Movies
* Outtakes and Deleted Scenes
* It's a Twister! It's a Twister! The Tornado Tests
* Off to See the Wizard
* 3 Vault Shorts
* Audio Jukebox Selection
o Leo Is on the Air Radio Promo
o Good News of 1939 Radio Show
o 12/25/1950 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast
* Still Galleries
* Six Theatrical Trailers

Disc 2
* Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman (NEW)
* L. Frank Baum: The Man Behind the Curtain
* Celebrating Hollywood's Biggest Little Stars (NEW)
* The Dreamer of Oz [1990 TV special] (NEW)
* The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910)
* The Wizard of Oz [1933]
* His Majesty, The Scarecrow of Oz
* The Magic Cloak of Oz [1914] (NEW)
* The Patchwork Girl of Oz [1914] (NEW)
* The Wizard of Oz [1925 feature]
* MGM: When The Lion Roars Documentary (BD Exclusive)


Additionally, and exclusive to the Blu-ray release, Warner has remastered the original, extended version of �If I Only Had a Brain� performed by Ray Bolger, and will be present it in high definition on the disc.

Besides the disc, the packaging will also include the following collectibles:

* Collectible and numbered 70th Anniversary Wizard of Oz watch with genuine crystals
* Replica of the original film budget
* Behind the Curtain, A 52-page, coffee-table book
* Reproduction of the original 1939 campaign book


The following is some additional information about the new special features developed specifically for this release as well as details regarding some of the collectibles:

* The Dreamer of Oz � which makes its long-awaited home video debut. Also remastered the occasion, this full-length motion picture was an NBC-TV special event in 1990 and thrilled critics and audiences as it told the back story of author L. Frank Baum, "the Royal Historian of Oz.� John Ritter shines in the title role -- the man who defied all odds to create the famous characters and stories. Annette O'Toole beautifully co-stars as his supportive wife, with Rue McClanahan as his challenging witch of a mother-in-law.
* Victor Fleming, Master Craftsman -- a new feature-length documentary produced specifically for this release about the Hollywood director who, in the same year, miraculously brought both Oz and Gone With the Wind to the screen.
* Hollywood Celebrates It's Biggest Little Stars-- a new featurette stars seven of the original "Munchkins of Oz" and tells the saga of the long journey, culminating in them receiving their own 2007 Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
* The Magic Cloak of Oz -- the first release of the complete 1914 silent film, including lost footage never before included in a home video presentation of this feature (produced by Baum himself).
* The Patchwork Girl of Oz -- another 1914 Baum-produced, feature-length silent film, new to Warner Home Video.
* The Wizard of Oz Sing-Along Track -- here making its home entertainment debut.
* Reproductions of Archival Material -- Extraordinary renderings of the original 1939 Oz campaign, exploitation, and press books. These materials constitute a Hollywood "holy grail" for Oz, Garland, and motion picture fans alike and, for decades, have been among the most sought-after and impossible- to-find collectibles.
* Behind The Curtain -- a 52-page miniature coffee-table book, assembled by pre-eminent Oz historian John Fricke. Encompassing much previously unpublished material, the deluxe volume includes behind-the-scenes Oz photographs, studio memos, and script pages for abandoned scenes and musical numbers.
* Exclusive Wizard of Oz Watch -- A collectible and numbered 70th Anniversary watch, incorporating art from the film and enhanced with genuine crystals. Available nowhere else, this beautiful timepiece was created specially for this DVD edition.
http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=2873

Seems like a lot of extras!
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Re: Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary DVD/BD

Post by Markgway »

The UK cover has "Sing Along Edition" plastered across it(!) Looks horribly cheap and kiddie-friendly. US set appears much nicer (and also much pricier). My Dad is interested.
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Re: Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary DVD/BD

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Yeah, I hate the UK cover, as you say it looks awfully cheap, but I don't want the huge US LE either. There is the "Emerald Edition" I think as well.
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Re: Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary DVD/BD

Post by saltysam »

have the usa LE waiting for me when i get back off holiday. uk singalong edition wtf!!
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Re: Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary DVD/BD

Post by Yi-Long »

Never seen the movie.

Would love it if they would release the anime-series from the 80's or something on DVD, though.
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Re: Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary DVD/BD

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Yi-Long wrote:Never seen the movie.
You must've had a strange childhood. icon_suspect
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Re: Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary DVD/BD

Post by Yi-Long »

What can I say: it's not a movie that gets shown on tv here a lot... so I just never got to watch it. I mainly know Oz from the anime-series that was shown during my childhood :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEDN3GyA ... re=related
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Re: Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary DVD/BD

Post by saltysam »

Single disc usa release looks nicer...

http://www.bluraysforeveryone.com/apps/ ... how/976058
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Re: Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary DVD/BD

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I want all the extras though, thats the problem.
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Re: Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary DVD/BD

Post by saltysam »

grim_tales wrote:I want all the extras though, thats the problem.
I Got the LE (which is huge but gorgeous..in fact the nicest LE i've had on blu) but you don't want that so why not just pick up the UK disc?Sure the sing-a-long tag is silly but really,does it truly matter what it says on a cover ;)
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Re: Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary DVD/BD

Post by grim_tales »

True, fair point. It's bound to be cheaper than the US Emerald Ed.
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Re: Wizard of Oz: 70th Anniversary DVD/BD

Post by grim_tales »

I just had a gander at Wizard Of Oz Blu and though my TV isnt the biggest (32") the BD transfer looks amazing for a 70 year old movie! :)
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